Sign the declaration

That the “non-lethal” weapons employed by police forces during protests have seriously injured several people, in particular:

That Eric Laferrière was shot in the throat with a plastic bullet by a police officer and had to undergo a tracheotomy, resulting in the loss of his voice (Summit of the Americas, April 2001)

That Mathieu Harvey was shot in the head with a plastic bullet, crushing part of his skull, putting him in a three-day coma and requiring two surgeries (Summit of the Americas, April 2001)

That Francis Grenier lost an eye after a police officer launched a stun grenade in the crowd (March 7 2012, SPVM)

That Alexandre Allard suffered a head trauma, facial fractures, a brain contusion, that he became deaf in the left ear, suffered from aphasia and memory loss after being shot with a plastic bullet by the riot squad (May 4 2012, SQ)

That Magali Paquin was injured to the arm with a plastic bullet although she was at a good distance from the riot police (May 4 2012, SQ)

That Maxence Valade lost an eye and suffered a head trauma after being hit with a plastic bullet, in addition to contusions to the liver and lungs (May 4 2012, SQ)

That Dominique Laliberté-Martineau was violently hit in the face with a plastic bullet, causing a double jaw fracture, the loss of six teeth and cuts to her bottom lip (May 4 2012, SQ)

That Naomie Tremblay-Trudeau was injured in the face after being shot by a projectile at point-blank range (March 26 2015, SPVQ)

That these people did not represent a threat justifying the use of such weapons

That the number of wounded is even greater

That we refuse that the list get any longer

That “less-lethal” weapons are a threat to the life and physical integrity not only of protesters, but also bystanders, wounding individuals indiscriminately

That despite law enforcement’s claims, these weapons kill and have killed in other contexts both in Quebec and elsewhere, namely Bony Jean-Pierre and Philippe Ferraro.

That the Grenier ruling of November 6, 2017 proves:

That the SPVM enjoys worrisome impunity with regards to the use of dangerous weapons

That the SPVM voluntarily concealed its responsibility in Francis Grenier’s injury

That during the trial, all law enforcement witnesses minimized the risks related to the use of stun grenades in protests in spite of the risks of severe injuries and death detailed on the manufacturer’s technical specifications.

The unacceptable absence of clear usage regulations, blatant carelessness for the physical integrity and life of protesters, and institutional lack of discipline

That the authorities never fulfilled the request by the United Nations Human Rights Council issued in its 2006 remarks on Canada, “to investigate Montreal’s police force’s tactics in protests”

That the lack of independent mechanisms of oversight of police operations in protests is a serious issue

That the recurring acquisition of new intermediate weapons contributes to the militarization of the police

That the right to protest is recognized by both Quebec and Canadian charters and that all protesters cannot be deprived of this right even if unlawful actions occur in a protest

That over the course of history, protest has yielded many social benefits that we still enjoy today, and that to protest without fear should be a given

Given all the aforementioned, we demand that municipal administrators, the Quebec government and the government of Canada

BAN THE USE OF INTERMEDIATE IMPACT PROJECTILE WEAPONS (PLASTIC BULLETS) AND OF EXPLOSIVE WEAPONS IN PROTESTS

More than 700 people and 80 organizations have signed our declaration.
Thanks for your support!